Measure to end term limits advances; still faces committee hurdle

A proposal asking voters to end legislative term limits cleared a House committee April 6, though a second committee still hasn’t scheduled it for a hearing, which could scuttle the measure.

The House Government Committee approved SCR1007 by a 7-2 margin. Supporters said the limits, which force legislators from office after four consecutive terms, rob the Legislature of institutional memory.

And legislators who don’t pass muster with voters still face consequences, said Rep. Warde Nichols, a Gilbert Republican.

“I believe the voters decide the term limits when they either elect or do not elect people,” he said.

But Rep. Chad Campbell, a Phoenix Democrat, said voters are angry with legislators for the way they’ve handled the budget crisis and won’t end term limits.

“I think it will fail miserably,” he said.

Whether it will ever be put before voters remains to be seen. The measure was assigned to both the Government and Judiciary committees in the House.

The Judiciary Committee is meeting April 8 for the final time this year, and SCR1007 is not on the agenda. If that committee doesn’t approve it, the legislation will not be able to advance to the floor.

However, GOP leaders could still withdraw the measure from that committee. If that were to happen, the ballot referral would be cleared for a hearing in the Rules Committee and then floor action.